Hidden In Grass
by Zesha Damarchy
Summary: A girl by the name of Vira has started her Pokemon journey, but Ash and Gary are still competition for her. Can she make it, or will she fall to one of them?


Outside the sounds of children exclaiming in joy filled the air. The voices came through the open window of a house, where a teenager by the name of Vira lay trying to sleep. She put her pillow over her head, but it just seemed to make the noise that much louder. Finally she got up and did her daily rounds of getting dressed, brushing her hair, taking a shower, and after she ate breakfast she would come back upstairs to brush her teeth, just like many other children.

However, this is far from an ordinary life. As Vira went down the stairs, her father's Pikachu, Lore, started racing up and down them, nearly knocking her off. "Oh stop it," she told the Pokemon, but it refused to listen. Instead it jumped on her back, causing her to fall five steps to the bottom floor.

"Looks like Lore wanted to wish you a happy birthday," said Aalis, Vira's mother. She was setting up balloons and putting out plates, and in the middle of their table was a giant cake that said, "Happy 16th Birthday Vira!" Candles of Pokemon lined it in a circle, except for one that stood in the middle. It was of a Houndour, one of her favorite Pokemon.

"Well look who's up," said Faizel, laughing. "How's my little girl?"

"I'm not five anymore, Dad." Vira rolled her eyes at him and went over to stare at the cake. Lore the Pikachu and her mom's Butterfree, Noa, looked at her expectantly. She closed her eyes and took in a deep breath, then blew out the candles. All went out, though she suspected Noa had helped her.

Faizel came up and put his hands on his daughter's shoulders. He kissed her cheek, then said, "I think you should open your present before we have cake." Then he went out of the room and returned with a large box. It wasn't wrapped, it was just a plain box, and he set it on the floor.

Vira bent down to open it, and when she did a Houndour popped out of the box. She couldn't believe what she was seeing. Her favorite Pokemon was right in front of her. She had waited so long to get her first Pokemon, six years longer than those brats she had heard outside that morning. Carefully, she picked the Houndour up and placed it next to her on the floor.

"Don't pat his head, he doesn't seem to like it," Aalis said. "But he loves his stomach rubbed."

"Is that so?" Vira asked, rubbing the Pokemon's stomach. He rolled over onto his back, panting and kicking one leg energetically. "What's his name?"

"Gunnar."

"Hey, Gunnar. Want some cake?" Vira smiled, something her parents hadn't seen in a while. She had been jealous of the fact that Ash and Gary's parents were going to let them go when they were ten, but she had to wait. They were six years younger than her, though, so they would be starting today, too. August 17th was the annual "get your starter Pokemon" day.

Gunnar barked and hopped up on a chair. He sniffed the cake, licked it, then cringed and jumped down. Lifting his paw he tried to rub the taste of it off his tongue.

"Guess he doesn't like ice cream cake," Faizel said, and the family sat down around the table, having cake and talking about how Vira would be traveling all over the world now.

"Here, Vira. Take this journal, and record your adventures in it. Send us postcards too," said Aalis, kissing her daughter on the forehead. Vira put the journal in her back pack, along with a book to read in her spare time. Then she headed out the door, waving to her parents, and started towards Professor Oak's lab.

* * * *

"Professor Oak?" Vira looked around the lab, Gunnar following close at her heels. He sniffed around and wrinkled his nose at all the machines.

"Yes? Oh, it's you Vira. I didn't think you would come, you took so long. Did your parents sign your Trainer License?"

"My what?" asked, puzzled. She had never heard of a Trainer License. A driver's license, sure, but never this.

"In order to get into the Pokemon League, you have to have a Trainer License," the professor explained, showing her one of them.

"Let me guess, you forgot to tell Ash and Gary about these, didn't you?"

"No I—oh wait. I did."

"Figures," Vira mumbled, taking the card out of his hand. "I'll get this filled out and tell them if I see them. If they don't piss me off like always."

She turned to leave, but Professor Oak called, "Wait!" Looking over her shoulder, Vira saw that Oak was giving her a Pokedex, something that would come in handy later on. "This will tell you information about Pokemon. Take it."

"Thanks." Vira put it in her jeans pocket and left. When she got outside, she tired to get Gunnar into his Pokeball, but he refused to even look at it. After several failed attempts and making herself look like an idiot, she just let him follow her to Route 01, where their journey would begin.

They weren't alone for long, though. Vira spotted Gary waiting, but if she didn't find out what he wanted he would stalk her for days until she heard what he had to say. It was safe to say Gary was an immature child, and shouldn't be the one going out into the world. Neither should Ash, but knowing him, he had already caused trouble and gotten someone following him around demanding he repay them.

"Well, if it isn't the old lady," Gary said, tossing a Pokeball into the air. "What're you doing out here? Ash got the last starter Pokemon."

"I have my own, thanks," she growled, but she wasn't the only one. Gunnar looked like he was ready to rip out Gary's throat. At least she wasn't the only one that hated him.

"Huh?" Gary stared at Gunnar a moment, then took out his Pokedex. "What's that?"

_"No data on this object. Please point to a Pokemon."_

"You're cheating!" Gary accused, pointing a finger at her. "How dare you?"

"Don't get your ego in a knot, Houndour aren't in Kanto. They're found in Johto. Now, if you'll kindly stop being a know-it-all and get out of my way..."

"No chance, cheater! I challenge you to a Pokemon battle. Go, Eevee!" Gary threw the Pokeball, and out came an Eevee. Adorable and fluffy, the Eevee tried to make itself look scared and harmless.

Gunnar didn't take well to that. Without waiting for Vira to say anything, he shot a ball of fire at the Eevee. It wasted no time hiding behind Gary, who then got hit by the blast. The Eevee hadn't escaped, though. It and Gary's shoes and pants were singed.

"As you always say, Gary, smell ya later," Vira said as she started up the path. Gunnar fell into step beside her, and they left the other two to wallow in defeat. They weren't even a foot away when her Pokedex came on and said, _"Congratulations! Your Houndour is now level six!"_

"Huh," she said. "Guess mine actually has a Johto feature already." Gunnar wagged his stubby tail, his head held high. He would make a great companion, and she knew it. And maybe now Gary would get over himself.


End file.
